Thirsty Perch Blues Band will play at 7 p.m. Friday at Lake Lansing Community Bandshell, 1621 Pike St., in Haslett. The band will appear as part of the Ingham County Parks Department’s summer evening concert series running at 7 p.m. every Friday night starting Memorial Day through Labor Day, with admission and parking free for everyone.
Thirsty Perch Blues Band plans to bring their own brand of blues music to the Lansing area. The band is comprised of lead singer Chris Collins, lead guitarist/vocalist Dan Lomas, bassist Phillip A., drummer George Ferguson and harmonicist Chuck Luscombe. Collins said the musicians, all with 20 to 25 years of experience playing in bands, use their diverse musical backgrounds to play a decidedly different type of blues music.
“We describe our music as rocking powerhouse blues,” Collins said.
The band has played together in its current incarnation for a year and a half. Collins originally wanted to form a band with a more classic rock sound to record an album. When their debut album “Meet the Thirsty Perch Blues Band” finished, they ended up with a much different sound than Collins anticipated. With musicians coming from diverse backgrounds such as country and jazz, Thirsty Perch Blues Band’s sound evolved into a hybrid of blues and rock music, Collins said.
“It makes sense to our band,” Lomas said. “The blues is always at the root of all music.”
Lomas credited the band’s versatility with their ability to draw a broad audience. He said their audience ranged from people 20 years old to more than 60 years old. The classic rock aspect of their repertoire brings in the older crowd, while the younger members of the audience appreciate the energy of their live performances, Lomas continued. Variety is the spice of any act and Thirsty Perch Blues Band makes sure to mix it up at every live show, he said.
“The fun is how we blend all our different backgrounds and influences together,” Lomas said. “It’s a unique sound.”
The Lake Lansing Community Bandshell summer evening concert series is in its seventh year. Pat Witte, park manager for Lake Lansing Park, explained the variety of music available during this summer’s series. There will be a diverse range of acts offered this summer. Everything from Irish folk to Broadway Choral to Caribbean music will be featured every Friday night during the summer at the bandshell, Witte said.
“Having 14 concerts to book, we’re able to mix it up quite a bit,” Witte said.
He said the concerts are family oriented and targeted at people of all ages — even offering free inflatable play structures for the kids to enjoy during the concert, which averaged 600 to 700 attendees last summer, with the biggest concert drawing more than 1300 people.
“Our goal is to make sure everybody has a good time,” Witte said. “It’s for everyone and everything is free.”